NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — U.S. milk production continues to expand, but dairy producers are facing a very different price environment heading into winter. Recent milk production data (PDF Version) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) show national milk output up 3.6 percent from August through October, driven by modest gains in cow numbers and slightly stronger production per cow. At the same time, federal order class prices have weakened considerably, creating a tighter margin picture for many farms.
October’s Class I Base price fell to $18.04 per hundredweight — more than $5 below last year — while Class III and Class IV prices also declined by similar margins. Those declines mirror weaker dairy product prices across most categories and suggest that additional downside pressure may continue into early 2026. USDA’s latest forecast expects next year’s all-milk price to average $1.80 per hundredweight lower.
Regionally, production gains were broad, with most states posting year-over-year increases. Butterfat and milk solids output also continued to rise, adding to the overall supply.
Looking ahead, USDA projects U.S. milk production will increase another 2.4 percent in 2026 as herd stabilization and efficiency gains continue.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Milk output is rising, but steep drops in Class I–IV prices are tightening margins heading into 2026.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Specialist
Falling feed costs and strong demand for butter could be good news for dairy farmers looking to get their finances back on track.
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Where the Food Comes From producer Donna Sanders takes us along on a behind-the-scenes look at filming the show’s newest episode, “Clemson Blue,” where university cheesemakers reveal how they put the “blue” in their award-winning blue cheese.
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It is in there, the mold — those rich blue veins in creamy blue cheese that make you either love it or loathe it — but how does it get there? This bonus scene from “Clemson Dairy,” Season 4, Episode 4 of
Where the Food Comes From, explains how and why that happens.
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No, it is not some new college course — Clemson has been making blue cheese since 1941, and the product has developed a worldwide following and won some pretty big awards. With good reason — it is fantastic stuff. It is also fascinating to see how it is made. Check out this sneak peek look at the latest episode of Where the Food Comes From, “Clemson Blue.”
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The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, and the pampered cows get on-demand service. The team at Where the Food Comes From shares a special, behind-the-scenes account filming the show’s newest episode, Robot Dairy, premiering this Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV!
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How does a robot milk a cow?
October 18, 2023 09:00 AM
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The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, where the pampered cows get on-demand service. They make a premium cream line of milk you still have to shake. It is so good it is used to make the world-famous Clemson blue cheese.
October 17, 2023 01:55 PM
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Today’s blog post by RFD-TV Agri-Legal Expert Roger McEowen takes a look at the “preferential payment rule,” a unique bankruptcy provision that can come as a suprise to farmers in financial distress.
October 13, 2023 10:54 AM
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Now that Washington lawmakers have passed a 45-day stopgap, they have some breathing room to work through some hot-button topics like the high cost of the upcoming Farm Bill, which is due in large part to the funding necessary to support the Nutrition Title.
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